> portability. It is only when one discovers that each "reliable compiler" > implements its own dialect, that each operating system intersperses its > own nuances, that each architecture contributes its own artifacts, that > one discovers that such "portability" is a complete and utter myth... but it isnt a myth. the whole world (except you) revolves around this concept of loose portability, ie we swop C programs and they work. 99.99% of the time. you dont use it, because you care about that .001% of cases. but i'll be dead and gone before the statistics catch up with, and hey if a program misbehaves tomorrow and I get unlucky, tant pis. Year-2000ism, or a runaway bus, or AIDS, or global warming, or CJD could catch up with me as well. i take the risk, and get on with life sebastian